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Guitar theory for alternate tunings



Posts: 9   Visited by: 21 users
21.09.2011 - 14:00
RockeRoy
I play moastly in CGCGCD tuning, but also a couple of other tunings as well. I recently got inspiration again to try and learn more theory. But i don't know how to use what i learn with other tunings than standard. How do i move forward, any good sites? anyone with any experience on this?
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22.09.2011 - 23:02
Glaucus
I have no idea what I'm talking about, since I don't use any other tunings than standard, but! Here are my two cents.

Alternate tunings mainly change the way that scales and chords are shaped on the fretboard. There wouldn't be much change (if any) in the theory behind the music you're playing. Like I said, just the shapes would be different, so you would have to pace yourself to developing new muscle memory.

Ah... If anything, a good enough exercise would be taking scales from a standard tuning and doing them in some other tuning, like an open tuning or an ostrich tuning.

Aside form that, I have no idea what I'm talking about. Good luck!
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23.09.2011 - 20:51
RockeRoy
Written by Glaucus on 22.09.2011 at 23:02

I have no idea what I'm talking about, since I don't use any other tunings than standard, but! Here are my two cents.

Alternate tunings mainly change the way that scales and chords are shaped on the fretboard. There wouldn't be much change (if any) in the theory behind the music you're playing. Like I said, just the shapes would be different, so you would have to pace yourself to developing new muscle memory.

Ah... If anything, a good enough exercise would be taking scales from a standard tuning and doing them in some other tuning, like an open tuning or an ostrich tuning.

Aside form that, I have no idea what I'm talking about. Good luck!

It makes sense
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23.09.2011 - 21:02
Glaucus
Yeah, if anything, it's something to 'play' with and make you more comfortable with strange fret hand patters and the like.
----
"Pretty easy work, for a God." - Freya ~ Valkyrie Profile
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11.10.2011 - 05:26
Grody2themax
I don't feel like explaining it to you, but you're not gonna go very far if all you know is how to do memorize fingerings for songs. Take some guitar lessons, learn to read music, learn about intervals, scales, time signatures, and chord tones. If you can legitimately understand all of that, you won't need anyone to answer your original question anymore.

Btw, you'll find that most people, especially metal play in standard or just lower tuning. You can mess around with eastern tunings if you want, but I feel like that is mostly just something to mess around on every once in a while.
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11.10.2011 - 12:00
RockeRoy
Written by Grody2themax on 11.10.2011 at 05:26

I don't feel like explaining it to you, but you're not gonna go very far if all you know is how to do memorize fingerings for songs. Take some guitar lessons, learn to read music, learn about intervals, scales, time signatures, and chord tones. If you can legitimately understand all of that, you won't need anyone to answer your original question anymore.

Btw, you'll find that most people, especially metal play in standard or just lower tuning. You can mess around with eastern tunings if you want, but I feel like that is mostly just something to mess around on every once in a while.

well i know something about theory, i have taken lessons, but i am no master. And i do not memorize fingerings for songs becasue i don't play cover songs anymore.
In standard tunings i have no problems with the theory, i thought someone might have some clever pinpoint tips.

i mess around with alot of diffrent tunings, but i think i found my favorit in cgcgcd.

Anyway.. kind of strange to say just learn everything there is to know about what your asking, then you don't need to ask. is that your answer to everything?
i wish i had the time to realy study music theory, but i don't right now.
----
You found god? If nobody claims him in thirty days, he's yours

Walk with me in hell
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11.10.2011 - 12:00
RockeRoy
Written by Grody2themax on 11.10.2011 at 05:26

I don't feel like explaining it to you, but you're not gonna go very far if all you know is how to do memorize fingerings for songs. Take some guitar lessons, learn to read music, learn about intervals, scales, time signatures, and chord tones. If you can legitimately understand all of that, you won't need anyone to answer your original question anymore.

Btw, you'll find that most people, especially metal play in standard or just lower tuning. You can mess around with eastern tunings if you want, but I feel like that is mostly just something to mess around on every once in a while.

well i know something about theory, i have taken lessons, but i am no master. And i do not memorize fingerings for songs becasue i don't play cover songs anymore.
In standard tunings i have no problems with the theory, i thought someone might have some clever pinpoint tips.

i mess around with alot of diffrent tunings, but i think i found my favorit in cgcgcd.

Anyway.. kind of strange to say just learn everything there is to know about what your asking, then you don't need to ask. is that your answer to everything?
i wish i had the time to realy study music theory, but i don't right now.
----
You found god? If nobody claims him in thirty days, he's yours

Walk with me in hell
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11.10.2011 - 20:29
Grody2themax
Written by RockeRoy on 11.10.2011 at 12:00

Written by Grody2themax on 11.10.2011 at 05:26

I don't feel like explaining it to you, but you're not gonna go very far if all you know is how to do memorize fingerings for songs. Take some guitar lessons, learn to read music, learn about intervals, scales, time signatures, and chord tones. If you can legitimately understand all of that, you won't need anyone to answer your original question anymore.

Btw, you'll find that most people, especially metal play in standard or just lower tuning. You can mess around with eastern tunings if you want, but I feel like that is mostly just something to mess around on every once in a while.

well i know something about theory, i have taken lessons, but i am no master. And i do not memorize fingerings for songs becasue i don't play cover songs anymore.
In standard tunings i have no problems with the theory, i thought someone might have some clever pinpoint tips.

i mess around with alot of diffrent tunings, but i think i found my favorit in cgcgcd.

Anyway.. kind of strange to say just learn everything there is to know about what your asking, then you don't need to ask. is that your answer to everything?
i wish i had the time to realy study music theory, but i don't right now.

Well, with the lower CGC strings you're basically in drop C, just like you would be in drop D, only a whole step lower. Drop tuning, just in case you didn't know is basically making it so the low 3 strings play a power chord (root, fifth, and octave from the root is sort of optional) Going further up the strings, the rest of the strings on a normal drop or standard tuned guitar are tuned in perfect fourths to each other with the exception of the the G and B strings being a major third apart. However in CGCGCD, the higher three strings are tuned a bit different. Between the second G and C, there is also a fifth as well obviously. And the second G and C strings form a gap of a fourth as well as the first did. The C and the D form a major second.

So, the first two strings together are fifths (power chords), and then the third and fourth strings are also power chords. So anything you do on the low c and g strings can be translated to the higher up c and g strings. By playing the low four strings open, your playing a c power chord, and then another c power chord an octave up. Or you could see it as you're playing a c power chord, and then a G chord using a fourth and an octave. Then, the C and D strings, like I said are a major second apart. Major and minor seconds add tension to a chord or series of notes because it has more of a tendency to resolve to a third or fifth for example. But using smaller intervals like this can add a level of unpredictability to your music, as well as it catches the ear more.

I could go on with the possibilities, but that is why I said you should learn more theory. Basically just learning about the intervals between notes and how they relate to basic chord shapes would help you develop your own ideas to be used in this tuning and in standard tuning. Learning what I said is pretty simple and basic too, so you shouldn't have much of a problem unless you give up because you don't immediately understand it. Also, theory is important, but don't ever take it to the point where you start to write music like you're a computer plugging in equations. It doesn't really work like that, because the capabilities of music theory is almost futile for writing music if it weren't for the vision or imagination in the artists mind.

Sorry for the disorganization btw, I didn't have time to revise it much.
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13.10.2011 - 15:38
RockeRoy
Quote:
Well, with the lower CGC strings you're basically in drop C, just like you would be in drop D, only a whole step lower. Drop tuning, just in case you didn't know is basically making it so the low 3 strings play a power chord (root, fifth, and octave from the root is sort of optional) Going further up the strings, the rest of the strings on a normal drop or standard tuned guitar are tuned in perfect fourths to each other with the exception of the the G and B strings being a major third apart. However in CGCGCD, the higher three strings are tuned a bit different. Between the second G and C, there is also a fifth as well obviously. And the second G and C strings form a gap of a fourth as well as the first did. The C and the D form a major second.

So, the first two strings together are fifths (power chords), and then the third and fourth strings are also power chords. So anything you do on the low c and g strings can be translated to the higher up c and g strings. By playing the low four strings open, your playing a c power chord, and then another c power chord an octave up. Or you could see it as you're playing a c power chord, and then a G chord using a fourth and an octave. Then, the C and D strings, like I said are a major second apart. Major and minor seconds add tension to a chord or series of notes because it has more of a tendency to resolve to a third or fifth for example. But using smaller intervals like this can add a level of unpredictability to your music, as well as it catches the ear more.

I could go on with the possibilities, but that is why I said you should learn more theory. Basically just learning about the intervals between notes and how they relate to basic chord shapes would help you develop your own ideas to be used in this tuning and in standard tuning. Learning what I said is pretty simple and basic too, so you shouldn't have much of a problem unless you give up because you don't immediately understand it. Also, theory is important, but don't ever take it to the point where you start to write music like you're a computer plugging in equations. It doesn't really work like that, because the capabilities of music theory is almost futile for writing music if it weren't for the vision or imagination in the artists mind.

Sorry for the disorganization btw, I didn't have time to revise it much.

I knew some of this, but this was actually quite helpfull.. thanx:)
----
You found god? If nobody claims him in thirty days, he's yours

Walk with me in hell
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